The proliferation of the shops has beaten New York’s own plans to open dispensaries after the state Legislature legalized recreational marijuana last year. State officials said it is legal for the tribes across New York to sell marijuana before regulators have adopted their own rules because the tribes have sovereignty. Therefore, tribal governments have been able to develop and implement their own rules and regulations around retail sales and cultivation of marijuana, outpacing the statewide plans and reaping the financial benefits. New Yorkers on the other hand must wait until the state finishes developing regulations in the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act — with regulated sales expected before year’s end. “There’s a considerable amount of money to be made in the industry, especially with New York lagging behind,” tribal lawyer Lee Redeye said. But doing so has raised a series of questions about how the tribes are procuring the marijuana, how it may ultimately be regulated, and whether the tribes could have to reach a compact with New York to tax sales. For many in Western New York, the Seneca reservation is the closest place to purchase legal weed, far from other legal destinations like Massachusetts or Canada.
Politics, Policy, Political News – POLITICO, 03/18/2022 20:00:00